YSR chopper goes missing

HYDERABAD: The search for Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy whose helicopter went missing on early Wednesday morning failed to yield any result till late evening, hamstrung as it was by poor visibility and heavy rains. The helicopter, carrying the 60-year-old chief minister, principal secretary S Subramanyam, chief security officer ASC Wesley, a close aide, and two pilots, was on its way to Chittoor district, where YSR was to undertake a campaign—his first after winning the elections.

Despite massive search operations by air force and local security agencies, the helicopter has not been located yet. The Hyderabad airport officials said that the helicopter had lost contact with the air traffic control (ATC) after 9.40 this morning when it was flying over the Nallamalla forest region.

The CM's chopper was said to have landed in the middle of the thick Nallamalla forest, said to be a hotbed of Maoist activities. "The chopper was scheduled to land at 10.30 am at Chittoor. We were informed soon after the ATC failed to establish any contact with the chopper. We immediately contacted officials from Idea Cellular who traced the signal and informed us that the chopper was close to Atmakur near Kurnool district," said Lakshmi Reddy, superintendent of police, Chittoor.

The anxious state government initiated search operations in Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, Prakasam and Nellore districts. It has appealed to the civilians dwelling in the surrounding areas of the forest to alert the officials tracking him.

Seven helicopters including five choppers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers are engaged in search operations. A low-flying aircraft belonging to the National Remote Sensing Agency will be operated for carrying out an aerial survey of the forest region.

The state home department has apprised the prime Ministers Office (PMO), the Defence Ministry, and the Home Ministry at the centre about the missing chopper. Senior Congress leaders Veerappa Moily and Prithviraj Chavan have been sent to Hyderabad to monitor the situation and expedite rescue operations.

"We are using all our resources. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been asked to map the area even though it is night. On-ground operations are still on," law minister and Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh M Veerappa Moily said.

Due to bad mobile connectivity and the area being heavily forested, officials have so far failed to make any contact with the Chief Minister sending security agencies into a tizzy. The Nalamalla forest range spreads across ten districts along the Krishna River with dense valleys and difficult hilly terrain. The Peoples War Group (PWG) had based its activities in this forest belt for years till it was smoked out in 2005-06.

"Several platoons of the Greyhounds (anti-Naxal) commandos and the CRPF have been pressed in to service and will engage in combing operations in different areas on the forest," Ramakanth Reddy, state chief secretary said.